With spring and summer around the corner and all travel restrictions finally lifted, many families and organizations are set to venture throughout the U.S. to sports events, competitions, and other conventions. These new facilities have much to offer to professional event planners, sports organizations, and casual tourists alike.
Every trip also requires a place to stay, and quality matters. While touring the country for sports events, travelers may want to book at stay at a sports-themed resort. From entertainment to amenities, sports resorts offer much for guests to do—when they aren’t in the game, that is.
From brand-new facilities to relaxing resorts, the future looks bright for sports in these locations.
Bringing everything together in Fargo
The first stop on this athletic lookahead is Fargo, N.D., where builders have already broke ground on a massive sports facility. The 414,000-square-foot Fargo Sports Complex is slated to open the doors to its phase one construction in spring 2024 and will already accommodate a whole
list of different kinds of sports and athletic activities.
The complex will include:
- Two ice rinks
- A full-sized indoor NCAA soccer field
- Six pickleball courts
- An indoor playground
- Several locker rooms, change rooms, and multipurpose rooms to service them all.
Furthermore, it will contain eight hardwood courts including a 600-seat championship court with the ability to add an additional 200 seats with portable bleachers. Each non-championship court can accommodate up to 200 seats and can each convert to three pickleball courts bringing the total available pickleball courts to 30.
Fargo Park district board president, Vicki Dawson, says this complex demonstrates “a real-time example of what it means to unite as a community,” and will put the community on the map as a sports capital with the largest facility of its kind in the state.
“We think Fargo is a world-class community and should have a world-class facility,” says Dawson. “When people come to Fargo, we want them
to experience how great Fargo is and this facility will help them see that.”
The second phase of construction of the facility will add a second indoor turf, another sheet of ice, and four additional basketball courts. It is slated to finish in late 2024 or early 2025.
Renewing Salem’s Moyer Sports Complex
Next up is Salem, Va. where work began last fall on a $27.5 million facelift of the city’s existing Moyer Sports Complex.
The 22-acre complex opened in April 1992 and annually hosts a variety of events ranging from youth softball and baseball tournaments to NCAA women’s national softball championships. The Moyer is typically in use an average of 230 days a year with a yearly attendance of approximately 250,000 guests.
The bulk of the renovations will focus on four softball/baseball fields, which will receive:
- High-quality new turf
- An irrigation system for sports turf and ornamental areas
- Scoreboards with a public address system for all fields
- Covered seating with a total capacity of 519 to 551 at each field
- New lighting systems at 50/70-foot candles
- Dedicated camera system for livestreaming games
- Four batting cages
- Eight mostly enclosed dugouts at field level, each having its own restroom
- Paved parking for up to 400 vehicles including dedicated space for large buses
- Portable fencing for various distance needs, and tabletop seating areas for concessions.
The Moyer’s other new features include:
- A championship field with seat backs, inning-by-inning scoreboard, artificial turf in foul territory of the infield, a field tarp, and a semi-permanent chain link fencing system for NCAA events
- A central tower for scorekeeping, tournament operations, concessions, and public restrooms. It also has an elevator, kitchenette, and manager’s office
- High-speed internet throughout the complex
- Entrance building for the ticket office, flex space, and umpire suite which includes shower, two restrooms, and kitchenette
- Entrance plaza featuring a granite floating ball water feature.
“This renovation and community project will enable The Moyer to remain one of the top sports complexes on the East Coast,” says John Shaner, Salem parks and recreation director. “Our goal is to maintain our sports marketing reputation and make sure the state of Virginia remains a top destination for tournaments and athletics.”
Milwaukee goes big with Wisconsin Center
The $456 million Wisconsin Center expansion in the heart of Milwaukee will bring its existing exposition space to 300,000 contiguous square feet, add
24 new meeting rooms, no fewer than 400 indoor parking spaces, add six loading docks, and a slew of event crew.
The groundbreaking was held on Oct. 28, 2021, with an anticipated opening in May 2024.
Upon opening, the expanded facility is projected to support 2,300 full-time equivalent jobs throughout the state of Wisconsin. The center also includes the original arena of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, now known as the UM Milwaukee Panther Arena, which hosts a number of other sports events and even serves as an entertainment venue for visiting artists.
The expansion will also include a variety of sustainability and eco-friendly features, such as:
- A solar roof
- An underground storm trap
- LED lighting in the front and back of the house
- Ceramic fritted glass to increase energy efficiency and prevent bird collisions
- A food waste bio-digester.
Once work wraps up on the Wisconsin Center’s massive expansion, it will house more than 445,000 square feet of total convention space and will begin hosting several events “almost immediately,” according to building officials.
Above are just a handful of exciting new or renewed venues for sports planners. The world continues to return to a sense of normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic, and people have a lot of travel and events to catch up on. These cities are prepared to welcome such events with open arms—and new digs.
An all-stars sports experience by Disney
This popular hotel sits nestled in the All-Star village in Disney World alongside music-, movies-, and animation-themed hotels. This sports-themed venue sees many sporting groups each year due to its pristine location, affordable prices, and free transportation to and from venues on Disney properties.
Amenities and activities at this resort which loves everything sports include:
- All-Star Sports campfire activities where families gather around as the sun goes down for old-fashioned family fun as you roast marshmallows by a crackling fire
- After the game is won and the day is done, take in a Disney movie outdoors
- Complimentary bus transportation to most areas throughout Walt Disney World Resort, including theme parks, water parks, resort hotels, and the Disney Springs area
- Dash about in Disney style with Minnie Van service, in partnership with Lyft, for travel within
- Complimentary merchandise delivery to Disney Resort hotels
- Guests staying in club-level rooms and suites are eligible for personalized vacation-planning support
- Two outdoor pools with sun loungers and pool umbrellas.
All 1920 rooms offer comforts such as air conditioning and thoughtful touches like late-night room service and free Wi-Fi.
Omni Frisco Hotel brings travelers close to America’s team
The Omni Frisco Hotel is a semi-luxury sports-themed residence geared towards traveling groups.
In fact, this hotel’s relationship is so close to sports that it looks directly at the official headquarters of America’s team, The Dallas Cowboys, which is the anchor of a 91-acre campus known as The Star. The Star features an entertainment district with restaurants, shopping, boutiques, and more.
The hotel’s fitness center offers complimentary water, fruit, towels, and locker rooms on the fourth floor. The fitness center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The space hosts a variety of state-of-the-art exercise equipment including an elliptical machine, free weights, stationary bicycles, treadmills, pull-down machines, medicine balls, exercise
balls, and Peloton bikes.
This 16-story hotel features 300 guest rooms, including suites that incorporate modern amenities with classic design. Guests will find a timeless interpretation of the state of Texas, the city of Frisco, and the Dallas Cowboys heritage through subtle yet sophisticated design, reflecting the energy of north Texas.
Without a doubt, the crown sports jewel of the hotel is the adjoining Ford Center, comprising of a multi-purpose 12,000-seat, indoor stadium as well as the entire Dallas Cowboys football operations and practice fields. The indoor stadium at Ford Center provides a facility shared by the Cowboys, the city, and Frisco ISD. The longstanding partnership that Ford and north Texas Ford dealers have enjoyed with high school football and the NFL franchise made Ford Center a seamless fit.
Ride the wave of the Crimson Tide
Don’t let the name of WestGate Luxury Condominiums fool you. While this complex serves as a permanent residence to many in Tuscaloosa, Ala., it also offers experiences for those who are just visiting the city.
Located on the west-end side of Bryant-Denny Stadium, home of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, the condos boast views of the game day crowds on Saturdays (only 200 ft away from the stadium) and the beautiful, landscaped grounds year-round.
The rooftop of the building is also equipped with a lounge area, chef-prepared buffet meals, lockers, and 65 outdoor TVs creating a luxury gameday atmosphere. The convertible indoor/outdoor space provides shelter when the signature Alabama humidity hits. The area also features a cocktail mixing station with a soda fountain, mixers, and ice, with a liquor delivery service for orders placed 48 hours prior to arrival. If the kids aren’t interested in the game, the Elephant Lounge Kids Gaming Center features PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
When the rooftop is not being used for game days in the fall, it is available for banquets, small gatherings, and even a draft party or two for student-athletes going professional.
The condominiums feature everything visitors need for a comfortable stay while enjoying college football:
- Fully furnished, chef-ready kitchens with appliances
- Amenity basics pack with samples of coffee, dish soap, shampoo, body wash, and more.
- Plush, premium mattresses
- Full-size washer and dryer.
